Welcome to the November, 2006 issue.

5 Warning Signs that Your Child is Being Bullied

Actions DO speak louder than words.  Here are 5 warning indicators that something very serious is going on in your child’s life.

1. Your child is withdrawn.  Often you’ll notice that your child is irritable or cries more frequently than normal (for your child).

2. Your child doesn’t want to go to school and tries hard to avoid school and school events.

Avoidance behaviors are often psychosomatic – these are illnesses that result from emotions and stress – and can include stomachaches, headaches, fatigue and chronic pain.

3. There is a noticeable drop in your child’s academic performance.

4. Your child views school as a very unhappy place to be.

5. In extreme cases, your child may display suicidal behaviors. 

Though suicide is a rare occurrence in very young children (i.e., under the age of 10), the following behaviors should not be ignored.  Please see your child’s pediatrician and/or your school counselor if you notice:

• a change in eating and sleeping habits

• personality change, exhibiting angry actions or rebelliousness

• involvement in drugs or alcohol

• persistent boredom and/or lethargy

• unusual neglect of appearance

• a pattern of giving away or throwing away possessions

• intolerance of praise or rewards

• preoccupation with death

• an increase in comments such as "I can’t take it anymore" or "Nobody cares; I wish I was dead."

What Can You Do?

·            Talk to your child in a quiet way.  Ask them what’s going on in school.  If your child is too young to verbalize, play a board game or role play with stuffed animals or other toys.

·            Talk to your child’s teacher

·            Talk to your pediatrician – if he feels he’s not qualified to help you, he will refer you to a child psychologist

·            Does your school have Bullying Intervention Procedures in place?  These would include:

o   A staff knowledgeable on how to prevent/respond to  bullies

o   Providing families with information and training

o   Raising student awareness

o   Providing increased supervision

o   Teaching strategies for your child to use if they are being bullied

Cheli and a group of parents will discuss bullying.  This interview will be made available to readers of “School Confidential” in November 2006.  You’ll be notified via a special e-mail alert.